Senate Defense Subcommittee Continues, Shortchanges Gulf War Illness Research Program

Action Needed Immediately to Increase Funding for Critical, Unparalleled Program

Written by Anthony Hardie

(91outcomes.com) – In surprising news today,  while taking action that would continue the unparalleled research program, the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations has short-changed the acclaimed Gulf War Illness Research Program.

While the House version called for more than twice as much, the Senate Subcommittee’s version would appropriate only $8 million for DoD’s Gulf War Illness Research Program.   

The Subcommittee is chaired by Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who also chairs the full Senate Appropriations Committee.   The Subcommittee’s Ranking Republican is Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.).

The program has been funded and managed since 2006 by DoD’ s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) at Ft. Detrick, Maryland, earning praise from scientists and veterans alike.

Gulf War Illness, also known as Gulf War Syndrome or Gulf War veterans’ illness research was funded far lower than any other research program, which included $150 million for breast cancer research and $80 million for prostate cancer research.

In another surprising move, ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and MS (Multiple Sclerosis) research would be discontinued under the Subcommittee’s proposal. 

Meanwhile, destruction of chemical warfare munitions earned a $1.5 billion recommendation.

Title VI – Other Department of Defense Programs $34.5 billion

Defense Health Programs $31.5 billion

• $595 million above the President’s budget request
• $240 million for cancer research. The total amount is distributed as follows:
• $150 million for the Breast Cancer Research Program
• $80 million for the Prostate Cancer Research Program
• $10 million for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program
• $60 million for the Peer Reviewed Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program
• $50 million for a medical research program
• A paltry $8 million for the Peer Reviewed Gulf War Illness Research Program

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Gulf War veterans and interested supporters should immediately contact their Senators, especially members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to demand that the Gulf War Illness Research Program funding be increased to at least $25 million, and to restore funding to the ALS and MS research programs.

More about the programs:  http://cdmrp.army.mil/researchprograms.shtml 

Senate Defense Appropriations Committee Members

Democratic Members

DANIEL K. INOUYE
Hawaii, Chairman
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PATRICK J. LEAHY
Vermont
State, Foreign Operations (Chairman), Commerce, Justice, Science, Defense, Homeland Security, Interior, Transportation/HUD
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TOM HARKIN
Iowa
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BARBARA A. MIKULSKI
Maryland
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HERB KOHL
Wisconsin
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PATTY MURRAY
Washington
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BYRON DORGAN
North Dakota
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DIANNE FEINSTEIN
California
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RICHARD J. DURBIN
Illinois
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TIM JOHNSON
South Dakota
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MARY L. LANDRIEU
Louisiana
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JACK REED
Rhode Island
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FRANK R. LAUTENBERG
New Jersey
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BEN NELSON
Nebraska
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MARK PRYOR
Arkansas
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JON TESTER
Montana
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ARLEN SPECTER
Pennsylvania
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SHERROD BROWN
Ohio
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Republican Members

THAD COCHRAN
Mississippi, Vice Chairman
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CHRISTOPHER S. BOND
Missouri
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MITCH MCCONNELL
Kentucky
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RICHARD C. SHELBY
Alabama
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JUDD GREGG
New Hampshire
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ROBERT F. BENNETT
Utah
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KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON
Texas
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SAM BROWNBACK
Kansas
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LAMAR ALEXANDER
Tennessee
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SUSAN COLLINS
Maine
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GEORGE VOINOVICH
Ohio
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LISA MURKOWSKI
Alaska
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Read more about the bill’s other appropriations recommendations:    http://appropriations.senate.gov/news.cfm?method=news.view&id=5d9a8abc-e3ee-4c49-9649-1f1311286566